1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to mobile aquariums for housing and displaying fish and other creatures and to background lighting systems for aquariums.
2. Description of Related Art
Aquariums housing fish or other aquatic creatures are widely used as decorative displays in homes and businesses. Many find viewing of and interaction with living creatures such as fish in an aquarium to be soothing. Further, studies indicate that such viewing may have therapeutic effects on patients in hospitals and elderly in care homes. Accordingly, many hospitals and care homes need aquariums for their patients, particularly patients who are confined to their beds and are unable to take part in many activities. However, providing aquariums for patients presents difficulties. Often, hospital rooms have insufficient space for permanent aquariums. Even when space is available, the space may not offer ideal viewing for a person confined to a bed, or placing the aquarium for ideal viewing may create an obstacle for required treatments.
An aquarium could be moved into a room temporarily for a patient, but moving aquariums presents difficulties. In particular, water in an aquarium is relatively heavy and attachments such as pumps and filters that normally accompany an aquarium can be cumbersome. Additionally, liquids such as water are prone to spilling. When moving an aquarium, water tends to slosh and splash out of the aquarium. The spilling can be messy and can create a hazard for people who may slip on wet floors. Removing the water from an aquarium before moving the aquarium and then refilling the aquarium is possible but time consuming especially since the water takes time to properly condition for safe introduction of fish. Accordingly, a mobile aquarium and a safe method for moving a mobile aquarium are desired.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, an aquarium includes a display tank mounted on or attached to a wheeled cart that allows the aquarium to be rolled from one place to another. The aquarium may further include a system that lowers the center of gravity of the aquarium and makes the aquarium more stable (i.e., less likely to tip over) while being moved. In one embodiment, the system for lowering the center of gravity uses a storage tank mounted on the cart lower than the display tank and transfers water from the display tank to the storage tank for moving. More water in the storage tank and less in the display tank lowers the center of gravity of the aquarium. The lower water level in the display tank reduces the chances of water splashing out while the aquarium is being moved but is high enough to provide a livable habitat for fish that remain in the display tank during moving. When the aquarium is in position for viewing, a pump having an inlet in the storage tank is activated to transfer water from the storage tank back to the display tank.
In one embodiment, the display tank has an inlet/outlet connected to the pump and an overflow outlet that drains into the storage tank. When the aquarium is plugged into an outlet (presumably at rest), the pump is active, and water circulates from the storage tank, through the pump to the inlet/outlet into the display tank, and back to the storage tank through the overflow outlet. When the aquarium is unplugged for moving, water drains out through the inlet/outlet back into the storage tank. The heights of the overflow outlets and the inlet/outlet control the water levels in the storage tank for viewing and moving respectively.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a background lighting system for the aquarium includes a light source and a semi-opaque sheet having a first image on a first side and a second image on a second side. The light source illuminates the sheet so that the second image shows through the first side of the sheet and appears behind the first image. In one embodiment, the first image has a graduate color that is lighter at one end than the other. The background lighting creates the illusion that the second image is being view through a thick layer of water.